Both Key Fobs and App won't unlock or start car

[DRKNEVL]

My wife's car started with this issue yesterday. Her key fob wouldn't unlock her car so she used the app to unlock it and then held the key next to the steering column which after multiple attempts started the car and she drove home. I figured it must be the battery and figured we would just swap out her key for mine for the time being until we can get a replacement. I asked her if she saw any warning for low battery in her key fob during start up over the last few days/weeks and she said no. This morning my key did not work either. The app did not work and said failed many many times before it finally worked and we got the car unlocked. Once unlocked we had the same problem with starting the car. It failed multiple times before finally getting started. I have an appointment tomorrow at my BMW specialist but when I told him what happened over the phone he had never heard of such a thing. Has anyone ever dealt with this? I can't imagine that both keys would have died when we really only use one and we have never got a low battery warning on hers. Any help would be appreciated.

-Jian

[gqgambler]

Change your batteries first before hitting up the service department. You don't need to use them for the batteries to die. Changing batteries eliminates the most common cause of your fob not working and saves a more expensive service appointment. While in the remotes, make sure there are no signs of broken contacts or button misalignment. A bigger issue you need the dealer for is replacing or reprogramming remotes.

[CatalinP]

You know you can onlock the door using the classic key inside the key fob, right?

[DRKNEVL]

Originally Posted by CatalinP

You know you can onlock the door using the classic key inside the key fob, right?

Yes.

[TXSTYLE]

I'm beginning to realize that these newer BMW keyfobs are draining much more than previous ones. Constantly communicating with the car without actually pressing buttons.

[Qsilver7]

OP...did you check the voltage of your car's battery? If attempts to unlock using the remote fob as well as the app...then failure to start the car occurred once you got in...perhaps the car's battery is slightly discharged.

BTW, the battery inside the key is not required to start the car. The remote fob uses induction to power the remote to start the car. The little icon on the side of the side of the steering column is the location of the ring antenna that powers/inducts the transponder inside the remote to start the car. The battery inside the remote is used for the central locking/comfort access/anti-theft alarm siren system features of the remote key.

If you unlock your cluster, you can check the cars battery voltage (if you don't have a meter to check it manually).

[turboawd]

Change batteries first like mentioned. Then check main battery if problem persists.

[DRKNEVL]

Thanks everyone. Irvine BMW told us over the phone that when one key loses battery that it can somehow mess the other key up... which made ZERO sense to me but turns out they were correct. Does not make any sense to me for this to be the case... what's the point of having an extra key than? Anyway problem solved. I was having serious anxiety over electrical gremlins of BMW's past.

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by DRKNEVL

... Irvine BMW told us over the phone that when one key loses battery that it can somehow mess the other key up... which made ZERO sense to me but turns out they were correct. Does not make any sense to me for this to be the case... what's the point of having an extra key than? Anyway problem solved. I was having serious anxiety over electrical gremlins of BMW's past.

Thanks for the update...and emphasis the point to swap out your remote on a regular basis if you keep it stored in a drawer. That way, if the battery becomes discharged...you will get a check control message. That way you can replace the battery before it gets too low to lock/unlock the vehicle.

As mentioned earlier in the thread...I swap remotes at each daylight saving time change. The one that's been stored in the drawer gets put back into active service...and the one getting used daily gets a few months break.

[Alex Morgan]

Hello,

I am having a similar problem - do you know if these two are connected ?

My car has been sat on the drive for 7 weeks due to COVID 19 lock down and the car battery went flat so I bought a charger - and after a long charge I went out for a spin.

However - since the dead battery (car) the only way I can lock/unlock the car is via the old fashioned key by the side of the door handle

The other thing I have noticed is that the TPMS is not resetting and reading the tyre pressures

I have searched various forums and some imply these are using the same RDC sensor


Is your TPMS sensor working OK ?

[DRKNEVL]

Originally Posted by Alex Morgan

Hello,

I am having a similar problem - do you know if these two are connected ?

My car has been sat on the drive for 7 weeks due to COVID 19 lock down and the car battery went flat so I bought a charger - and after a long charge I went out for a spin.

However - since the dead battery (car) the only way I can lock/unlock the car is via the old fashioned key by the side of the door handle

The other thing I have noticed is that the TPMS is not resetting and reading the tyre pressures

I have searched various forums and some imply these are using the same RDC sensor


Is your TPMS sensor working OK ?

My Tire pressure sensors were fine. I am going to take a guess that in your case the battery went so dead that you can charge it enough to get the car started but not enough to keep it working or power all the other systems. Replace the battery and see if everything resets?

[siriusblakelol]

Since the thread is from 3 years ago, I assume you might have already resolved the issue. However, for anyone else reading this, if you encountered a similar problem with your car key fobs and the app not working, it's recommended to this car lockout help service. They will have the expertise to diagnose and fix any technical issues related to your car's key fobs. It's always best to seek professional help to ensure the problem is resolved correctly and avoid harming your car by using shady methods. And I say this from personal experience. Be careful!